Healthy Banana Bread (Quick & Easy!)

This Healthy Banana Bread is a family favorite. The recipe comes together in the food processor, and once cooled and wrapped, the bars store amazingly well in the fridge and freezer. It’s soft, moist, and sweet, yet firm enough for little fingers to hold without it falling apart. It’s totally delicious for snack time, dessert, or breakfast!

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

The thing I love most about this recipe? It’s so packed with nutrients and it tastes great. It’s a total win-win. Plus, it’s just so easy to make, even if your kitchen is crazy with the kiddos running around! We love this healthy banana bread as an everyday treat—for snacks or breakfast (because it’s really good with coffee or milk). And I find that baking this healthy banana bread in an 8×8-inch pan ensures that the whole things cooks evenly and in about half the time as a standard loaf pan. (And there is a seriously slim chance that it won’t be baked all the way through—which always seems to be an issue for me when I make banana bread in a loaf pan.)

Can I make this banana bread with the kids?

Absolutely, this is exactly the type of recipe that’s ideal for making with kids. My girls love to help peel and slice the bananas and of course press the button on the food processor. They even love to crack the eggs and I try to let them since it’s a good way to practice impulse control…and I keep a towel nearby and emphasize the importance of gently cracking the eggs. (Yes, this does sometimes result in a mess but it’s still fun!)

How to Make Healthy Banana Bread Step-by-Step

Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making this banana bread recipe.

Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor and grind to form a coarse flour.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.

Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake!

Let cool fully in the pan and then slice and serve.

How long can I store this banana bread?

You can keep this bread, once fully cooled, in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also put half of the batch into a zip top quart size freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the whole bag or one slice at a time overnight in the fridge or in 15-30 second bursts in the microwave.

Flourless Banana Bread

The base for this banana bread recipe is ground up rolled oats, but you can pick up a bag of oat flour if you want to skip that step. I like to grind my oats in a blender since that does a great job of getting them nice and uniform in just a few seconds. In addition to being gluten free if needed, using oats instead of flour makes a slice of this bread almost as healthy as oatmeal. It’s packed with fiber and complex carbohydrates so the kids will be fueled with balanced energy until the next meal or snack time rolls around. It also stays moist for days when stored in the fridge, so you can make this on the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week.

Low-Added Sugar Banana Bread (That Still Tastes Great!)

There’s just 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in this healthy banana bread since I rely on the bananas for sweetness.You’ll have the best flavor and sweetness if you use very ripe bananas here—go for the ones with brown spots since those will have the best natural sweetness. We like the bread plain or topped with nut butter or with a simple frosting made with combination of maple syrup and cream cheese.

It’s easy to enjoy healthier baked goods when they taste so good—and are easy to cut up and serve to even your littlest eaters!

Ok so I managed to have a stress-free trip to the grocery store and get another ripe banana. I just made it this morning and it’s delicious! My daughter’s eating some of it now and asked for another piece 🙂. Thank you!

Would it be possible to share your icing idea? Im keen to use your lovely recipe to make a Postman Pat cake but think I will probably need an icing to put between the cake and the fondant icing? Thank you!

You could try quinoa or rye flakes if those options might work. I’ve not made this with those options, so the baking time might be slightly different—just use a cake tester inserted into the center until clean as your guide.

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